Anyways, so I haven't read your emails yet, so I'm just going to jump into this last week- which was an absolutely amazing week! I loovveedd it!!! Soooo many blessings!!! :D
So I guess I will start with Tuesday... Sister Remington and I were in the middle of our studies/training when all of the sudden we get this call from a guy named James whose girlfriend says she wants to get baptized. You can imagine our excitement and absolute joy! haha Oh, but to back up even before that... so you know that I was really sad about leaving my last area and missing all the baptisms- especially Sam's since his was the soonest. Anyways, so since our mission is relatively small and the areas are pretty close together (literally some of the areas are so small, you could just be transferred 2 streets over and be in a completely new zone!) we have a rule that if you bring an investigator with you then you can go to a baptism in a different area. So, since I arrived in this new area with absolutely no investigators, I have been praying nonstop for a miracle so that we could go to Sam's baptism.
Anyways, so fast forward back to Tuesday, we call Jenna and ask when she's available to meet and she says that night! Ahhh! Soooo happy !! So we go over to James apartment and meet Jenna and her 5 year old son Logan (Jenna is in her 30's). She is soo awesome!! I love her! So anyways I asked her that very night if she was doing anything on Saturday and she said she was available!!! Yay!!! So the week goes on and thankfully she is still golden- it is just kind of interesting to see how things tend to get in the way when people are super prepared... Teaching Jenna is such an awesome experience! and also kind of a trial... I am not a skilled teacher. Some sisters it just comes naturally to, but for me that is just not my strength. But, it is amazing to see how Heavenly Father has helped me with my weaknesses. He has helped me to understand the needs of the people we have been teaching and contacting and ya it is just amazing to see the change! It is a trial in some ways, because I have to learn patience as a trainer... I just want to do everything! I want to talk and invite her to baptism, and all of these other great things, but I have to step back and let Sister Remington experience and lead the lessons. It is a great learning experience! Training is a really cool experience! I love it and it is helping me to become a better missionary because it is helping me to really forget about myself and put others first. I love it! So, we got to go to Sam's baptism!!! It was such a tender mercy of the Lord! Just little things like that truly show me that Heavenly Father loves me and that He wants me to be happy. He knows what I need and He will always provide a way- as long as we have faith in Him and then do something about it! Ahhhh sooo many miracles :)
Valentines day! This was the best Valentines Day ever!! Sister Remington and I had baked cookies to take to all of our Bishops, ward mission leaders, investigators, recent converts, less actives, etc. It was soo great!! I just love making people happy :) We also got a few new investigators that day! Oh and thank you for the beautiful flowers!! I loved them :) Lets see, what else happened... Oh we had zone conference that day and I had been asked to give a talk on being converted to our purpose. I can't even tell you how many talks I have had to give on my mission. I am giving another one this week. But anyways I mentioned Nacho Libre in my talk and even did the whole nacho accent when I quoted him. haha thought that would make you guys proud! But, the thing I like about giving talks is that you learn more than anyone else. I really learned that being converted to our purpose is more than just knowing what we are doing, but really why. I honestly can't remember what else I said... but no doubt it was top notch. haha jk. But, that night Sister Remington and I actually got to go out on a date for valentines day dinner- she was my valentine haha One of the members in our ward owns this amazing Indian food type restaurant, so they told us to go their for dinner and we got it all for free! It was awesome and delicious.
Anyways, oh another really cool thing about going back to my old area for the baptism and seeing the people there- including sister wong!- was that I really felt a difference in.... I don't know how to say it... mantle of responsibility? If that makes any sense, but it wasn't there any more! I still loved the people, but I knew and felt that I didn't have as much responsibility or stewardship over them. I looked at Sister Wong and her new companion Sister Harris and you could just feel that they truly were called of God to be in that area. They have the responsibility for that area. It was just a cool thing... I'm not sure if any of that made sense...
Well I just looked at the pics of Eugenie and Jerel's new condo! Super cute! I will respond to everything else in my letter this week.
I love you all soooo much! I am sooo grateful to be here on a mission. For all of the experiences I have been able to have, for all of the people I have been able to meet, for the trust I have gained in the Lord. I'm just happy :)
Till next week!
Love,
Sister Hamstead xoxoxoxoxoxox
Sister Hamstead xoxoxoxoxoxox